Funeral arrangements

Death is an unavoidable aspect of life. Yet loosing a loved one is rarely something we are prepared for. It is often confusing and at times tricky to know what to do – especially when the deceased person was a newbie. This guide gives you a brief overview of regulations and where to turn with your questions.

What to do first

Contact friends and family in Sweden and abroad.

Find out if the deceased had any wishes concerning the ceremony and the burial (religion, cremation etc.).

Find out if the deceased shall be buried in Sweden or in another country.

Find out if the person was registered – folkbokförd in Sweden. This makes an important difference when it comes to the legal and financial aspects of the whole procedure.

Contact a Funeral Agency – Swedish Begravningsbyrå. Swedish Funeral Agencies take care of the legal and practical matters and will help in contacting funeral agencies abroad and arrange transportation of the deceased.

Note: Swedish funeral agencies charge for their services and the costs vary between agencies. So, make sure to get an estimate before you take on their services.

Important to know

Newbies who are registered – folkbokförd in Sweden, have the same rights as Swedes to be buried in Sweden. This means that costs for funeral services (cremation, burial etc.) will be the same for Swedes as for registered Newbies.

Newbies who are not registered – folkbokförd in Sweden when they die, do not have the same rights as Swedes to be buried in Sweden. It is, however, in no sense impossible to burry a non-registered person in Sweden. It is rather a matter of money. If the burial expenses can be paid, the deceased can be buried in Sweden.

The time from the death to burial is quite long in Sweden. It is not unusual that it takes up 2-4 weeks, sometimes even longer, before the deceased is buried. A new regulation however, states that the deceased person should be buried or cremated within four weeks.

The Swedish Tax Agency – Skatteverket is the authority that issues death certificates. You will need one in order to clear all matters concerning bank accounts, rent, bills, post etc.